Erik Bedard

This baseball season didn't exactly begin the way Chris Tillman had hoped.

First, the Norfolk Tides pitcher envisioned himself on the opening-day roster for Baltimore, where he spent 12 games last year before being sent back down to Triple-A. Then, he lost the Tides' season opener April 8.

In his second start, he gave up three runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings in a 6-1 loss, and he lasted all of one inning in his third start, giving up four runs on four hits.

Cue the questions about what was wrong with Tillman, edged for the Orioles' fifth starter's spot by David Hernandez in spring training and perhaps the club's top minor-league prospect.

Related "Erik Bedard" Articles

This baseball season didn't exactly begin the way Chris Tillman had hoped. First, the Norfolk Tides pitcher envisioned himself on the opening-day roster for Baltimore, where he spent 12 games last year before being sent back down to Triple-A. Then, he...

When Andy MacPhail acquired 10 players for a scandal-scarred Miguel Tejada and an injury-prone Erik Bedard, there was national sentiment that he had all but fleeced the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. So what are people going to say if he ends up...

Rewinding the week that was, in which college basketball fans braced themselves for March Madness (who will win your NIT office pool?), the Netherlands shocked the world (just imagine the partying in Amsterdam), and he can't sell his house or afford to...

EASTBOSTON RED SOX (96-66, first)MANAGER: Terry Francona, fifth season.PAYROLL: $150 million.X-FACTOR: Veteran RHP Bartolo Colon is getting his velocity back up and could be a big boost to a rotation that may lack Curt Schilling all year.BEST CASE: A...

POOL ACHINASome baseball insiders think this country could be the next baseball world power. For now, the biggest names on this roster are manager Jim Lefebvre and pitching coach Bruce Hurst. China's strength is that its players are familiar with one...

From 1954-71, Washington and Baltimore staged one of the most forgettable and lopsided rivalries in baseball annals. The nation's capital housed the low-rent Senators, while Mencken's town boasted the powerful Orioles.During those 18 seasons, Baltimore...

With the Dodgers scheduled to break camp Wednesday, Adrian Gonzalez was among several veterans permitted to travel to Los Angeles a day early.
As Gonzalez packed his bags, he sounded upbeat about how the lineup has looked during the exhibition season,...

Why, you ask? A very good question. It may not come with the greatest answer but it remains a very good question.
On Tuesday -- the day of their final spring home game in Phoenix and when they began making cuts -- the Dodgers announced they had...

COLORADO 6, DODGERS 4
DODGERS 11, TEXAS 3
AT THE PLATE: Adrian Gonzalez hit two of the Dodgers' five home runs against the Rangers. The Dodgers hit 10 home runs in two games in San Antonio; they have 20 home runs in 18 games in Arizona. Juan Uribe had...

Although Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers had a good laugh about the line drive that toppled their ace on Friday afternoon, Kershaw paid the price Friday night.
He spent the evening at the dentist.
Kershaw said after Friday's game that the only damage...

The face of the franchise was down. The best pitcher in baseball had been hit by a line drive. Clayton Kershaw sat on the mound, rubbing his hand against the side of his face.
And then he got up, shrugged off a chipped tooth, and kept on pitching. The...

And this is why you should be just a tad nervous about the Dodgers' rotation.
Which is not to say it won’t be phenomenal. It absolutely could be with some luck. Any rotation that leads off with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke figures to be formidable....

The Dodgers could open the season without Hyun-jin Ryu after they shut down the left-hander because of tightness in his left shoulder.
Ryu received an anti-inflammatory injection but said he did not get an MRI examination. He sat out three weeks last...

With pitchers and catchers reporting Thursday to spring training, the Dodgers already are facing something of a crisis.
Closer Kenley Jansen underwent foot surgery Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined for the first month of the regular season.
How...

BALTIMORE — When Andy MacPhail departed Chicago in 2006 after two postseason appearances in 12 years running the Cubs, he left with one of the more memorable exit lines in franchise history.
"It's time," he said. "The clock on the MacPhail-o-meter has...

Chris Tillman shies away from talking about his accomplishments this season because he doesn't want to give the inclination that he's satisfied with the steps he has taken.
He had a remarkable second half, continued his emergence as a leader in the...

Major League Baseball will announce All Star rosters Saturday, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Fox. The Orioles have three virtual locks to start with outfielder Adam Jones, first baseman Chris Davis and shortstop J.J. Hardy.But right fielder Nick Markakis is in...

I offhandedly tweeted that Manny Machado might be the most exciting ballplayer to come through Baltimore in 30 years. Which led to a quick mental review of the other candidates to see if I was crazy. The verdict?
Well first, let’s talk about Machado....

On July 28, the Orioles lost to the Oakland Athletics to drop their record to 52-49.As pleasant a surprise as the club had been to that point, the season suddenly carried all the hallmarks of an Oriole collapse, the kind fans had come to expect in 14...

The Orioles didn’t have to make any extra travel plans for their top minor-league award winners for the first time in 20-plus years.On Tuesday, as part of minor league appreciation night, the organization honored current Oriole right-hander Dylan Bundy...